What Dreams may Lie
by TrecherousPrude
Summary: Todd, referred to inaffectionately as Toad, is the most mistreated of all Evo characters. So, naturally, when his greatest dream comes true, it happens in the worst possible way...strong maturity necessary for readers.
1. Such that Dreams are made of

_Disclaimer: I own none of those cute lil' X-men._

_ Well, this is my first fanficcy...read and review, please? It's kind of...dirty O.o' Sorry if it offends._

_ Feel free to flame, if you must, but I would prefer more helpful criticism. : )  
_

_-Meli_

Chapter 1: Such stuff that Dreams are made of

The peeling paint and broken shutters were silent for now, and the stained walls and dirty carpet made no sounds. Broken stairs let out not a squeak, and furniture settled into quiet ease. At four in the morning, there was peace in the brotherhood home. Mice scuttled here and there on padded paws, chasing beetles and pieces of fluff that fluttered off into the air. Calm spread like a muffled moan across the house. In each of their rooms, the members of the could each be heard breathing respectively.

Lance's mouth was full of whistles tonight, with each breath he emitted his stuffy nose sighed a high-pitched squeal, quiet and unnoticeable. Pietro snored with ferocity, but straight into his pillow. Lying on a mattress, since no bed short of steel could support his frame, Freddy drooled his dreams away. Wanda slept in the fetal position, knees tucked to her chin, sorrowful eyes silent and motionless behind lids clenched shut.

The quiet would soon drive him to madness. Todd lay on his back, wide bloodshot eyes staring at the ceiling as his right foot twitched with boredom. Most nights he got a few hours of sleep, if he was lucky. He'd tried reading; his mind couldn't focus so late at night. Then he'd tried the television, but Wanda being the light sleeper she was, he'd been hexed back into his bedroom in a rather forceful manner. The tube didn't help, anyway. Todd got antsy at night; energetic. He found it impossible to lie still, but tried his damnedest for Wanda's sake. The last thing that girl needed was to be sleep-deprived. So he'd tried running at night, along the street. Sleep after a run came easily enough. That worked perfectly, until a gang of bastards beat the living hell out of the frog mutant and put an end to his running.

Todd put both hands over his face, rubbing the skin around, and tried to think about sleep. Imagine pillows and sheep; gentle things, things to drop him into the abyss of rest. Soft, sweet, kind things; puppies, kittens, soft and touchable things; lips, skin, breath...He jerked in bed, eyes opening. Damn it, those kinds of thoughts were certainly not going to get him to sleep.

Todd bounced a bit on his bed, hips rising and falling. This just tweaked his arousal, thoughts of women flooding his head again. Todd wondered for the thousandth time why he was always so damn horny at night. Maybe he had some sexual mutant abilities, in combination with his froggy-powers. The teenage mutant let out a quiet moan at the thought; what a terrible grouping that would be! To have supernatural skills in bed, but a horror to look on in the day. What woman would ever go to bed with him, willingly, even as a pity case?

Angrily, he grabbed his semi-erect penis and massaged it, allowing it to grow to a full-up hard-on. He could feel the muscles in his body begin to relax, and a tingling feeling creep through his flesh. So the mutant began to massage himself harder, mind disapating into crisp white warmth. He licked his lips and closed his eyes, fantasizing about women. His woman. She would have full, flowing blond hair with plump red lips; yes. Her eyes would be...he could see them in his mind...God, those eyes would be the darkest brown, deep and so pure he could lose himself forever gazing into them. Todd let out a small sigh, hand moving faster. His woman would be no taller than he was, she would be just big enough, just the right size. With large, lovable hips and small, perky breasts. Her stomach...his mouth turned up in a smile as it let out lusting breaths...her tummy would be petite, a bit round, and soft to touch. He could imagine touching her, feeling her, kissing her all over her wonderful little body. Pressing that body, nude, against his in total abandon to one-another. With the image of his woman imprinted in his mind, Todd came into his boxers. His eyes squeezed shut and then opened wide. For a brief moment in orgasm he could see her; his girl, his lady. He longed for her, wished for her, needed her like air water or food; at that moment Todd would have grasped the stars and pulled them from their peaceful heavens if it meant he could wrestle her from fate's greedy clutches.

Then the seconds of bliss were gone. Todd lay there, his breathing irregular. He turned his round head to look out the window, and saw the sun's first rays touch the dark sky's hue, dusting it a pale blue. The last of the stars were fading from the sky. His green eyes closed, brow furrowed, and he tried to sleep. Ten minutes passed, twenty, half an hour. Todd's eyes fluttered open again, from a black and empty dream. The clock now read 5 in the morning. He supposed it was as good a time as any to get up.

_R&R please...the next chapter will be up no sooner than 8/1; I'm gonna be out of town. : )_


	2. The Dreary and Dreamless Mansion

_Disclaimer: I **still** own none of those cute lil' X-men._

Chapter 2: The Dreary and Dreamless Mansion

The blood in his mouth tasted of iron. "Freddy, you're a fuckin' asshole," Todd griped, wiping the corner of his lips with the back of one abnormally large and pale hand. The Blob just smiled with wicked intent back at his fellow mutant and relaxed his arm, dropping his enormous bottom onto the couch.

"I told you t'give me th' remote, Toad. I _told_ you." And as though those words truly justified the sudden onslaught of slapping the smaller mutant had just received, the gigantic teenager turned his attention back to the tube. Todd sulked on the opposite side of him.

"Doesn't mean I heard you, yo," he muttered, but Blob's entire mentality was tuned in to a monster-truck rally and ignored Todd's words completely. The frog mutant gave a disgruntled sigh and stood up, feeling his face for any bruising. No, Freddy had been gentle this morning; nothing felt like it would swell. 'Heaven forbid I should ruin my stunning face,' Todd thought with a bitter cynicism, and walked into the kitchen.

Breakfast had been three hours ago for the little mutant, but he was hungry again. He began to rummage through the shelves and cubbards, wondering why anyone bothered to build so many compartments for food if they were forever to remain empty like this. Surprise almost toppled the boy over when he looked in the pantry, though. Eh? Still one rice-crispy leftover? His eyes darted around the room, sneaky and sly, and he reached forward to grab up the treat, already imagining how it would taste--

Where'd it go?

"Damn it, Pietro! That was mine, yo!" The speed mutant raced by, treat in hand, and gave out a maniacal laugh. "You sound like a chipmunk on crack, speed-boy," Toad spat, longing for the piece of marshmallow-crispie goodness. He regretted his words only milliseconds later, when Quicksilver darted forward and, before Todd could even gasp in surprise, yanked his pants down.

"'Ey, that just ain't right, you woman! OW, yo!" The speed mutant cackled again, tripping his house mate and slapping the boy across the back of the head; all before Todd could even finish his sentence. Pietro paused to study his handiwork.

"Yeah right, Todd, what woman's ever gonna want _your_ pants off?" One more laugh and he was gone, a trail of swirling dust bunnies left behind his racing feet.

"Fuck you!" Todd shouted after him, whiny high-pitched voice sounding childish and angsty more than the threatening and manly boom he'd hoped for. The teenager pulled himself up and yanked up his pants in the process, tightening his belt a loop. There was never any food in this place; with Blob and Pietro around, he had to fight for scraps between Lance and Wanda. It was never much of a fight; Lance was a good two heads taller than the boy and Wanda was...well, Wanda. Who the hell in their right mind would intentionally allow that crazy chic to go hungry? It might make her grumpy. Moreso than the usual. Although, Todd had to admit he did find her rather attractive. For all her madness and angst, she was really just a misguided, lost mutie like himself. And the cute gothic thing didn't hurt at all.

The frog mutant rubbed the back of his head and slouched forward, wondering what he would do for the rest of the day. Maybe he could find a job somewhere. Or maybe he could just get out of this goddamned hell-hole.

Todd walked to the front door. "I'm outta here, yo, catch y'all later!" he shouted, annoyed at the sound of his own voice; both shrill and gravely at the same time. No one responded, and he didn't expect them to. No one gave a shit.

_Yep, another short chapter. Read and review? Please?_


	3. Dreaming Awake?

_Disclaimer: One day, the X-men will be **mine**! But until then, I'll just steal their ideas and write ficcies off them._

_Alright, hasn't been working for my puter, but now that it is, here's the next chapter._

_PLEASE! Any sort of critique will help! ANYTHING!_

A damn dreary day had settled upon Bayville, listless clouds not even bothering to take shape as they blotched out both the blue of the sky and warmth of the sun. The canopy of the world was one great stretch of gray, dappled here and there with an airplane or bird. Todd squinted even though there was no sun; this unpleasant atmosphere seemed to soak up the light and distribute it in a more magnified form. It was almost as though the muggy weather was trying to be cheerful.

"Screw you and your good intentions," the frog mutant muttered to the sky as he walked, giving a hard kick to an innocent pebble that lay naively in his path. The rock won; Todd missed it entirely and stubbed his toe against the ground. With the developed muscles of his legs backing that foot, the collision had quite an affect on his toes. Todd yelped in pain and hopped about for a moment, clutching the foot and holding it to his chest.

He heard a giggle from across the street, and glared over. Whoever the hell was laughing at him would get a mouthful of stubbed toe if they didn't shut the fuck up. His eyes narrowed, then glazed. Todd's jaw dropped.

He blinked.

And again.

And again.

In what twisted version of reality...?

That giggle, the sweet laugh that had chirped so lissome and liquid into his ears, the way a muse should sound; it was miraculous. Like nectar to lips so his ears swallowed the dying laugh, eyes still unable to comprehend what solid flesh stood before him. He tried to breathe past the beating lump of heart in his throat, finding it impossible. Todd's brain wondered if he might suffocate, and his heart thudded back that it didn't care. His shoulders relaxed, fell, and his head tilted to the side. Still unable to breathe, he stood there, like a dumbfounded ragdoll, slight smile playing across his large mouth.

For the rest of eternity Todd would have been happy to have stayed in that spot; he would have been overjoyed to starve and decompose staring at the form across the street. But, in a rude quirk of fate, a strong hand came down firmly on the boy's shoulder. The was a chuckle behind him, and Todd snapped to sudden attention. Before he could say anything, Magneto spoke.

"I see you've met Nadine, Toad." The small mutant tilted his head up to look at the master of magnetism. He stared down at the boy, strong features emotionless. An eyebrow suddenly quirked, and the giant among mutants spoke again. "Do you find her to your liking? You most assuredly should." His eyes were proud. "I chose her myself. She is a gift to my son." Todd blinked, brow furrowing. A gift? Magneto raised a hand and gestured to Nadine with a flick of his wrist. Smile plastered across her features, the girl obediently crossed the street, not bothering to look either way before she did. A car slammed on it's breaks, squealed to a halt, and honked. Several rude gestures were made at the girl, all of which she ignored, smile never fading and gaze unblinking.

Todd did a double take at this Nadine character, heart skipping again. He could feel his throat close up even more. Her face, her body, her brown eyes; everything. The boy knew what her voice would sound like before she spoke, knew how her hair would smell of lavender even when it wasn't washed, knew what her head would feel resting on his chest. A swarm of insects fluttered around inside his belly, and the mutant felt like crying. He hardly heard Magneto chuckle, his heart was beating so loud as she approached them. The girl he'd dreamt of last night and so many nights before; here she was, splendid in her visibility, as well as her more important complete tangibility.

"I see you do like her, Toad. I only hope that Pietro will find her to his tastes as well." The frog mutant's eyes took on a confused look again. Finds her to his tastes..? Todd forced himself down from the clouds his brain was dancing on, and tried to think the situation through. He tore his eyes from her face, and they fell to her outfit. Fishnet stockings greeted his gaze. And spiked high-heels. Todd's eyebrows jumped up. Her black hair fell in a shining voloptuous mass around her head and neck, tumbling with calculated ease to her shoulderblades. She wore a little black dress, plunging low at the neckline to reveal deep cleavage. The dress ruffled outward at the hips, several layers of a miniskirt layered into an enticing skirt that fell just barely beyond where her thighs met. Around her neck was a black choker, and the outfit was completed with a white tiara. The realization struck Todd in the temple, and he actually jerked backward.

The girl he had dreamed about for so long had manifested before him dressed as a French maid. She was holding an ebony featherduster and everything.

Big brown eyes never left Magneto's hand, and soon Nadine was standing less than a foot from Todd. His breathing wouldn't slow down; he wanted to gather her in his arms and kiss every piece of that soft pale body. She didn't notice his behavior, though; Nadine stared straight at Magneto, eyes glistening with emptiness. The magnetic mutant gave a very stern look to Todd.

"Nadine, this is Toad. He lives with Pietro."

Smooth and graceful, the maid put out a hand. "I am pleazed to meet you. I am called Nadine." Her voice was thick with a French accent, words rising and falling in obedience to it. The smile and expression never changed; she seemed in complete control of everything.

"Uh, I--uh. Uh." the mutant stammered, trying to get real words out, "Call me Todd." He shook her hand, arm crackling with adrenyline at the physical contact. Nadine didn't notice, and tried to let go of the handshake. Todd found himself unable to, and had to put concious effort into prying each of his fingers lose.

Magneto cleared his throat in a serious manner. "Come, Nadine. We must meet your master."

Master? Todd felt confused again.

The magnetic mutant strode with a calm sincerity up to the front door and waved a hand. It opened before him, as though to bow before his wishes. "Son," he called, not a question or a request. Papers rustled in the Brotherhood house, and in a white blur Pietro stood before his father, looking cautious.

_R&R Please please pleaseiest please! Next chappy will be up tomorrow or the next day! Hugs n kisses!_


	4. Stranger than you Dreamt

_Disclaimer: The X-men copyright continuously evades me._

_Oooh, I have such wonderful reviewers! Thank you for your time, guys!  
_

Chapter 4: Stranger than you Dreamt

"What's up, pops?" the speed-mutant asked, high-toned voice speaking rapidly as was Quicksilver's way. Magneto smiled a benevolent smirk, and like a god brought forth the bounty of his good will.

"Son, your 18th birthday was last week. And I decided to get you something...special. Nadine?" He made the gesture with his hand again. From behind his broad shoulder poked two brown eyes, and Quicksilver jumped back. Suspicious now, he braced himself for what he feared might be another of his father's strange tests. His legs tensed, ready to run, and Pietro began eyeing different means of escape. He caught sight of Todd, looking with an unusual amount of stupidity at the face behind his father. And in a moment he understood why.

From behind Magneto stepped Nadine, black hair flowing and hips swaying from side to side as she moved. Her ripe lips were formed into the shape of an o as she eyed the room they stood in. These brown pools fell onto Pietro, and he felt himself go numb. Magneto chuckled at his son's reaction.

"Son, this is my gift to you. She's human, made to be subservient to mutant-kind, but I've quickened the process somewhat. I have trained her to obey the commands of only yourself and I. She will act as the maid of the brotherhood, and will be..." his grin deepened, "amusement for you."

Pietro's jaw dropped and his tongue slid forward, beyond the tips of his teeth. Nadine, seeing this, gently used her featherduster to push it shut. The speed mutant smiled with a dumb confusion at her.

The magnetic master's face became solmn. "She will do as it is you wish, under one condition, Pietro." The boy turned his eyes, attention caught. "At 7:00 every night you must place her in a cage that I will provide you with. Under _no_ circumstances should she be let out of this cage. She must remain inside until 9:00 each morning, when she again may be released." He paused, letting that sink in, eyes scrutinizing his son. "Also," he continued, "If she begins to act strangely or speak differently, place her in the cell." Magneto's eyes narrowed. "Is this perfectly clear?" Pietro's head bounced up and down like a bobble-head doll. "Excellent. Then I will leave you two to get acquainted." And with that, he turned on his heel and left, heading towards where a black car was parked on the street corner.

No sooner had he disappeared into the vehicle than Nadine moved aside from the door, standing just to it's left. Pietro peered outside, watching his father go, then darted backwards suddenly. He let out a yip of surprise as several thick sheets of metal shot through the front door, lodging themselves just next to the staircase. In moments, a small steel cell had been built, a small glass window centered on it's door. Before Pietro hovered a pair of keys, and he stared at them in blank shock before shaking his head and darting a hand upward to pluck them from where they hung.

Confused and baffled, the speed mutant turned to look at his new french maid for answers.

_K, I know things are a little far-fetched here...bear with me. Any reviews would be wonderful! Criticism is greatly appreciated!_


	5. Nightmare

_**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but zee leetle French maid._

_Thank you for all your reviews, people! I appreciate it!_

Chapter 5: Nightmare

There was a dull sense of throbbing nausea in Todd's abdomen. His eyes now felt dry and barren, and he had to keep blinking to rewater them. This was one fucked-up life he was living. The girl of his dreams, standing feet away from him, a slave to the lust of Pietro. Of all brotherhood members, why Pietro? Todd's hands shot up and he grabbed the slate colored hair sprouting in long tangles from his scalp, pulling it downward. His face contorted into a look of anguish, and he felt as though he would cry. This was several steps removed from unfair. It had crossed into the wasteland of cruelty; a dark, nasty fate. He was still located on the back of the porch, so no one noticed when he lept away, sprinting into the woods behind the brotherhood house.

No one noticed especially because of the new girl. With that vacant look in her eyes she stretched out on the doorframe, one hand laid along the wood and one hand resting on her jutting hip. She smiled; a full, dark smile; tracing the hilt of her feather duster along the top of her thigh.

"Zees iz a very dirty houze, oui?" She looked at Pietro and pursed her lips. "And you are all very dirty boyz?"

The white haired mutant nodded vigorously; perhaps too much so, for his power kicked in and his head became a blur. She giggled, big false eyes dumb and emotionless, and stepped forward so that her breasts brushed his chest. The hand holding the duster reached up and tickled Pietro's nose. "You need some cleaning, no?"

Lance and Freddy watched on in shock as she wrapped one fishnetted leg around Quicksilver's hips, his hands reaching instinctively around her waist. She pivoted on her heel, causing the boy to fall against the front wall of the house, and pressed her body against him, simontaneously pushing her lips to his. Now her fingers traveled up into his hair and drummed small lines around his upper neck, kiss gaining depth and erotica. Pietro let out a sigh, and she in return moaned into his mouth.

Both feeling a bit awkward, Freddy and Lance began to make their way into the kitchen, eyes wide and slightly frightened. They exchanged glances with

It was Quicksilver who broke the kiss. She looked at him questioningly, head tilted to the side and eyes dull, as he lifted her small frame from the floor bridal-style. In a flash, they were up the stairs and gone.

_Dum-daa-duuum! Who is this girl? What's with the outfit and the accent? And what does Todd's vision have to do with all of it?  
_

_Find out next week in the adventures of Frenchie and Toad! _


	6. Dream of Agony, Dream of Ectasy

_**Disclaimer**: Dispite my best efforts, Todd and the other Marvel characters still elude my copyright.  
_

_Sorry folks, my computer's been down_..._grumble grumble I hate technology grumble So , here's chappy 6...I hope I still have some reviewers left who haven't given up on me... : ( _

**Chapter 6: Dream of Agony, Dream of Ectasy**

Through the woods ran the little frog mutant, bulging eyes swimming with tears. He wiped at his face angrily with the back of a grubby hand, frustration balling it into a fist. With a tremendous leap the boy was airborne, landing with the splinter of twigs upon a high branch of an old oak tree. He crouched there, breathing hard, trying to add things up in his small mutant mind. Last night, a vision had approached him. A premonition so crisp and clear, he could have sworn she was real. And today...today this vision had become tangible, had morphed into physical shape in _reality_! Twenty minutes ago, Todd had caught sight of his one true love, a lady he'd dreamed before he'd even seen.

And now, it was gone. All for nothing.

Heartbroken and shoulders sagging, Todd's hands dropped to the sides of the thick branch. He let out his feet, falling square on his bum, and dangled both legs in front of him, staring at his worn sneakers with both disgust and disillusionment. Only in _his_ life would something so miserable occur. As the frusteration and hate dissapated from his brain, though, Todd was left with a new feeling.

Confusion.

Who was this girl, where had she come from? Surely Magneto couldn't have actually "created" her...he must have picked her up off the street somewhere. Was she some type of permanent hooker? A whore housemaid? It seemed logical enough. Perhaps, if he could save enough money, he would be able to persuade her for a night. Disgruntled by the thought, Todd rested his head against the tree trunk and squeezed his eyes shut. That was just wrong; he wanted to be her love, not her fuckable bank. He sighed. It made sense that his soulmate would be a woman of the streets. He was, after all, a child of the street himself. Raised with nothing, picking scraps from garbage cans, stealing more often than working...his grey eyes winced at the memory of dark alleyways, gutters, and jail cells.

And then Todd's brow furrowed.

If Nadine was a hooker, paid and bought, then what was the deal with her cell? That cruel metal room Magneto had hastily built for her nighttimes. Come to think of it, the man had said something about subservient humans. But what did this have to do with her and Pietro?

Shrugging it off as a strange game that Magneto played with any sub-mutant, Todd bounced down from the tree and began to walk through the woods. Deep in speculation about the day's chain of events, he meandered through trees and hedges and eventually into locational oblivion. Upon realizing he was lost, Todd did what made the most sense: he kept walking. He found a stream, nearby which were growing a plump batch of blueberries. He smiled wide, plucking several greedily and stuffing them without discresion into his mouth.

That evening, a tired and emotionally trainwrecked frog mutant clamored up the steps of the brotherhood, a dozen or so blueberries clutched lightly in the long fingers of his left hand. He popped them easily into his mouth, one by one, and used the other hand to open the door. Every muscle in his body froze taut when he did.

The first thing Todd encountered was the mutual expression portrayed by both Lance and Fred. It was a mix of jealousy and annoyance, with perhaps a bit of fear blended in. Todd was no master of reading emotions, though; all he could tell was that something was terribly wrong. And he reazlized what precisely was amiss two point five milliseconds later, when the sounds from upstairs hit his ears.

Moans and shrieks of muffled but still extreme decibels hit him like a lead-weighted boxer's glove, instincively causing his own hands to curl. His jaw dropped and eyes narrowed in a squint of pain, the expression of both the vomitrocious disgust and the intense pain that stabbed into him.

The blueberries, now crushed beyond recognition as a fruit, were dropped to the floor in a globular mess; and without thinking, Todd bounced twice and landed on the railing of the upper story. Without even a word of hello to his fellow brotherhood members, he disappeared into his room, shoving his head beneath a pillow and pressing it close against his big ears, hoping to drown out the noise and his feelings simontaneously.

Downstairs, Lance laughed at his friend's display. "Never been laid, never gonna be laid. Guess he's jealous," he sighed, grinning at the Blob. Freddy, in return, stared at the floor. An uncomfortable silence filled the space between them both.

_There was tall grass, high as his neck. And ahead of him, lucious brown curls bobbing like something from a shampoo comercial, trotted the form of a woman, facing away from him. He smiled and ran after her, noticing now how nude she was. With a shriek of mirth she ran, hands above her head. He bounced into the air, falling down atop her in the thick and tall grass, noticing for the first time his own nudity, feeling it pressed against her... he smiled down at her. But her face was no longer happy. The lower lip trembled and the deep brown eyes shimmered as tears rolled from them. Quiet, hopeless sobs escaped her, and grew steadily more heartfelt even as he held her close and petted her hair, trying to comfort this dream woman. "Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry..._

...don't cry..." Todd's eyes opened, ears alert. Yes, there it was. The unmistakable sound of female sobs. The boy tried to shake off his dream, listening hard. They grew more quiet now, less angsty, and yet Todd felt compelled to investigate. Either Wanda or the new girl was sad, and in either situation Todd wouldn't mind being the shoulder to cry on. So, barefoot and wearing nothing but boxers with a hole in the elastic, the frog mutant tiptoed down to investigate.

He reached the hallway and listened, until he was absolutely sure the Scarlet Witch hadn't been crying. Still, he made sure to preserve absolute silence as he passed Wanda's room, knowing what a light sleeper she was. Todd made his careful way downstairs, noting that the sobs had stopped a moment ago. He reached the metal cell, and looked around it for any sort of a peephole. There, on the door, was a thick glass slide, embedded in the steel. Through this he could look, standing on tiptoe, and glanced into the cage.

What he saw hit him even harder than his original viewing of Nadine had. She was curled up, knees to chin, dressed in some of Pietro's sweatpants and a tee-shirt. Lying on the floor, her voloptuous figure became volumous, causing her to appear fat. The bottoms of her feet showed, dirty and callused, leading up to legs that now appeared less toned and more pudgey. His eyes swept up her frame to her face, which lay asleep. The blank eyes were closed, but still remained puffy and red. Fresh tears were still visible shinning on her cheeks, which were slack as her mouth hung open. The shiny and vibrant hair was clumped and greasy, and hung around her head like a halo of brown straw.

Todd had never felt to attracted to anyone.

His eyes stared with a tender awe at the character before him, in all her unkept and unattractive glory. Vaguely, in the back of his mind, he wondered how she had gone from the earlier drop-dead woman to this homely girl, but it didn't concern him. All he could feel was her breath, as he watched her chest rise and fall; all he could see was her face. One oversized hand touched the glass, curving around the shape of her body; caressing it, as though by imagining he was doing. He stood there, watching her, until the sun peeked through the living room window.

The next few days Todd spent in a restless daze. Pietro treated Nadine more and more cruelly by the moment, at first revering her every movement but quickly devolving to barking orders and fondling her publically. She never complained; only stared at him with those stupid blank eyes and giggled. It was these times that Todd felt she was nothing but a hollow whore, that this woman should be no more meaningful to him than any other bimbo on the street. But at night, every night, he would sneak down to watch her as she slept. And it would be then, in those moments of tender desire, that he would _know_ Nadine was something more than what Magneto and Pietro saw; he _knew_ she was special, and that she was meant for him.

But how and why he knew this, Todd could not yet fathom.

_Has anyone figured it out yet..? I'm sorry if it's too obvious. : ( Please, review! I really appreciate all your comments!_

_Oh, and btw...I'm perfectly aware of how smutty and dirty this whole tale is. : ) Be glad it's just that right now; that's the romance. It's rated for romance **and** angst...wait till we get to the angst! _


	7. Golden Slumbers

_**Disclaimer:** X-men + Evolution not mine_ _- original characters_

_Here it is, the moment of truth; WILL TODDIE MAKE A MOVE!_

_**NOTES**_

Leecheecopae: _Yeah, I'm 'bout willing to kick Pietro's silver arse at this point too.**  
**_

Thriller:_ Hmm, you're getting warm thinking Fiona...but there's a bit more to it than that ._

**Chapter 7: Golden Slumbers**_  
_

Again, Todd couldn't sleep. Thoughts of Nadia were strong and persistent, unyielding in their sweetness like love tends to be. He thought of holding her, caressing her, asking her why she so obediently followed all of Pietro's cruel orders. But of course, Todd knew he would never have the chance to fulfill any of these romantic dreams. There was such a tight leash kept on Pietro's little maid that Todd physically shuddered to think what Pietro would do to him if Nadia were to reject his advances. And still there was that tantalizing and impossible dream – what if she accepted...if she were to give him a chance; to allow him only once to touch her, kiss her, hold her close...

Unable to restrain himself, he pulled back the covers on his bed, sneaking like he'd done so many times before into the hallway and down the stairs. He peered over the rail, looking beyond the railing to where her cell lay, with the small slit of a window that allowed light in. She lay curled on a scratchy army blanket, arm tucked under her head, body stretched out. In the faded pajamas Wanda had given her, she looked much more young and innocent. Todd's gaze traveled to her hips and where her shirt was pulled up due to her raised arms, sighing lustfully. It was hopeless to watch her; she had no freedom of choice. And even if she did, why would this girl who while daylight shone looked like she the star of several porn flicks waste time even talking to a toad like himself?

Todd jerked suddenly, realizing that he'd been taking quiet steps toward her cell while he thought. He now stood inches from her window, peering inside, eyes full of compassion. His nose almost touched the glass, and he sighed a little more loudly than he'd intended.

Nadine's eyes shot open. Brown and brimming with tears, they stared into Todd, somehow connecting with the gravitational pull of the earth and rooting the lovestruck teen to his spot. With a painful slowness she sat up, still holding eyecontact, and moved forward on her knees, until she was as close to the window as he was. Her full lips opened and mouthed two words, plain and clear to Todd.

'Help me.'

The frog mutant almost screamed, recoiling in fear. His body tensed and made an instinctive leap, and the boy found himself standing at the top of the staircase. Though his takeoff had been quiet enough, the landing on the first step was rough and created a creaking rattle that echoed through the house. Todd froze, waiting for a response, hoping no one had awoken. He waited, eyes wide, body taut.

And he waited.

And waited.

Then, the horrifying happened. There was a grumpy moan from Wanda's room. Todd felt adrenyline rush from head to toe, and in a panic he raced back toward his own room, stealthily as he could make his oversized feet go. He reached for the door, fingers extending to grab the knob, and was zapped by a small bolt of static that had taken up residence in the metal. The tiny sting was enough to ground him mentally, and he paused again, listening hard.

For another five minutes Todd crouched there by the door, head cocked to the side, listening. Waiting. His ears stretched and wiggled to hear any noise at all. Finally, at hearing nothing but heavy snoring from Pietro, he dropped his hand away from the knob. Now to decide how worth it going back downstairs would be.

First of all, no matter what happened, he couldn't get to sweet Nadine. There was a fat lock on the door to her cell.A little voice protested that, but he brushed it aside. He couldn't get past that lock. Second of all, he didn't know what he was getting into. Todd didn't know what 'help me' had meant, but it didn't sound easy. The little voice returned, protesting harder, but he ignored it and came up with a third reason. The nasty speed demon himself, Pietro. If Quicksilver found out Todd had been tampering with Nadine, there would be no end to his wrath. Not to mention the wrath of Magneto. Too dangerous, definitely.

The little voice protesting in Todd's head suddenly became very loud. He felt cowardly and lame, giving up for such silly reasons. The lock was easily pickable; he'd known how to pick them since childhood. And the fear of Magneto, Pietro and the unknown was a flimsy sheet to keep a lovestruck teenager away from his desired one.

Todd took a deep breath for courage and made his decision. He would go back downstairs, regardless of consequence.

_Ha Ha! Bet you thought something would actually happen this chapter!_

_Well, next chappy's almost done, might be up by the end of today, even...something definitely happens in chapter 8..._

_ But the question is: is the author going to let Todd be happy? Or will he get shot down by his so-called soulmate?_

_R+R Per Pia Chere! _


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